Testing device.



l. W. WHITL TESTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAYB. I9Ia.

Patented May 4, 1915.

1; 's a nrc,

JOHN W. WHILTE, 0F NEW YORK, N, Y., ASSIGNOR TU AERO FIRE ALARM COMPANY, 0F NEW` YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIGN 0F NEW JERSEY.

TESTING DEVICE.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN WHITE, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in |lesting Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in testing devices for determining the operability and efliciency of uid systems in general, vwherein piping or tubing is employed, the term uid as herein used being understood to cover air, gases and liquids and its meaning is to be so interpreted throughout the specification and claims.

While l would have it understood that my invention is applicable to fluid systems for various purposes, it is particularly adaptable to use in conjunction with the so-called pneumatic signal systems, wherein the expansion of air within the piping or tubing forming part of such systems serves to operate suitable mechanism to close or make an electric circuit and set the signaling means in operation, and, in order that my invention may be clearly understood, l have elected to illustrate and describe the saine in connection with suchl a pneumatic signaling system, though, as before stated, l do not desire to limit myself to this specic application of my invention.

ln systems of the character described, 1 t is essential that means be provided for making periodical tests of the apparatus, to ascertain whether it is in serviceable condition and to this end l have ldevised. a testing device, whereby ll am enabled to produce an abnormal pressure of atmosphere within the tubing and thereby bring about a condition approximating v such conditions as those under which it is normally designed to operate and which will enable ine to accurately determine the efficiency and positiveness of operation of the signal apparatus.

'llhe object of the present invention is to provide a testing device to be used in the aforesaid connection, which will be simple iii construction while at the same time being positive in operation, and which, by reason of its simplicity of structure and operation, may be readily installed in existing systems or be produced as a part of new systems at little cost.

Another object of my invention iste pro-A Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May d, 11915 vide a testing device, which is particularly adaptable for use in pneumatic signal systems where the tubing or piping traverses a large area and where it is, therefore, desirable, and in fact, essential to have more than one means of communication between the piping or tubing and the mechanism whereby the signal is rendered operative, so that the air, when expanded Ywithin the tubing may reach and inuence the signal operating mechanism in the shortest possible time.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a testing device whereby a single operation will enable the operator or tester to bring the means for increasing the pressure within the tubing simultaneously into circuit with a plurality of normally independent circuits, so that a tesi'l may be expeditiously made of a complete signal system which will be thrown out of service only during the testing period, requiring but a very small fraction of time.J

ll shall now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings and then point out with more particularity the essential elements of novelty therein, in the appended claims ln the drawings: Figure l is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, of my preferred structure showing its employment in connection with a having two circuits, and, Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modified form of valve which l may employ in carrying my invention into edect. v

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

pneumatic signal system" in which like characters of reference are employed to designate similar parts in both views, 7 is a tube or pipe, which is prefercuits are being tested by my device, the

nism.

On therod l0 as will be apparent from Fig. 1, l mount the valves 11,' 12 and 13, the number of valves and the consequent length of the rod 10 and the casing 7 being dependent upon the number of circuits in the which will be readily apparent.

when the valves are mounted on therod 10 and rigidly secured thereto by means of the securing nut 16 threaded. thereon, a passage 17 will be provided between the' inner "wall 18 of the piping or casing 7 .andthe con-:

tracted portion ofeach valve, the enlarged ends or heads 19A of each valve being approximately of the same diameter as the interior of the tube or casing 7.. In mounting the valves on the rod 10, I position between the opposed heads of each valve an annular packing ring 20, as shown, the object of In the present illustration of my invention, wherein I have shown the same in connection with a pneumatic system containing but two circuits, it willf'be observed that each circuit communicates with the tube or casing 7 at 21 and 22; and 23 and 24 respectively, so that under normal conditions, in the event of an abnormal increase of temperature of the air within the circuit a occurring, if the point at which the element iniiuencing the increase occurs is nearer to the connection 22, the air will flow through-the pipe into the tube or casing 7 and around the valve 11 through the pipe 25 into the expansion chamber 26, which will operate the diaphragm 27 establishing an electrical circuit and operating the alarm 28. On the other hand, if the raising of temperature is. influenced at a point closer to the connection 25, the air will not be forced to travel about the entire circuit and pass through the tube or casing 7, but'will Aflow directly through said connection 25 and actuate the signal operating mechanism. It will, of course, be understood that the circuit b will operate in a like manner under similar conditions as will each and every circuit in the system of which my invention is a part.

It is frequently necessary and desirable -that pneumatic or other systems for signaling or the like, be tested at regular intervals to determine whether they are efficient in operation so that they may be depended upon in an emergency. Therefore, in connection with the valves 11, 12 and 13, and the method of mounting Vand operating 'the same, I employ a ,rotary or other suitable pump 29 which I preferably locate at a point in the system in proximity tothe valve mechanism and which has -means of communication with the interior of the pipe or casing 7 "through a supply pipe 30 leading from the pump 29 and the connecting pipes 31 and 32 leading therefrom Jfor each circuit. When it is desired to test the system of which my invention is a part, the valves are moved 1n the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) by means of the rod 10, this movement of the valves effecting the closing of the openings 21, and

23 of the connecting pipes25 ofthe circuits a and b, and the opening-rof-the'connecting pipes 31 and 32 leading-from the pipe 30 connected to the pump29, whereby communication is established between said latter connecting pipes 31 and 32 and the pipes 22 and '24 Vof' the circuits a and b, the connecting pipesfil and '32 @leading from the pump supply pipe being normally closed by the packing rings 20. When communication has been established for testing in the manner hereto- -fore described, the pump 29 is operated and a condition obtained within the tubing "which approximates that which would re-A :sult under an emergency such as that-for which pneumatic signal systems are designed. The compressed air from the pump 29 will produce an abnormal pressure within the pipe 30 and connections 31 and 32, in-

creasing the pressure within the casingv 7 and about the respective valves, and .within the pipes 22 and 24 of the respective circuits a and b, thereby influencing the signal actuating mechanism and setting the .signalingVv means in operation in the customary manner. By this method, it will be manifest that a lsingle operation of the valve actuating rod 10-will render it possible to simultaneously test the entire line of piping in each circuit in connection with which my invention is used, the closing of the connecting pipes 21 and 23 andthe operation of the pump 29 producing an abnormal pressure throughout the entire length of the pipingv in each circuit.

lTo limit the movement of the valves 11, 12 and 13 so that they will be properly positioned to close the openings 21 and 23 and establish communication between the pipes 22 and 31 and 24 and 32, I have found it desirable to provide suitable stops. In thel embodiment of my invention shown in Fig.

1, these stopstake the form of a boss -37 formed on the cap. v8 against which` thev lshoulder 38 onthe` operating handle 39 of therod 10 abuts when the rod is moved in the direction of the arrow. When the rod 10 is moved inthe reverseidirection'to reopen the normal circuit and close the pipes 31 and 32, the movement of the rod is limited by the bushing 40 carried by the rod 10, which abuts against the inside of the ca 8 at one end, the other end thereof bearing against the shoulder 41 formed on the packing retaining member 42. This packing retaining memberv 42 may be ofy any suitable construction, but I have found it expedient to employ a head such as those forming part -of valves 11, 12 and 13. l

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the method of operation of which is similar to that above described with the exception of the slide valves, I employ a three-way valve 33 which isrotated in the direction of the arrow, the valve as shown being in its normal position. For testing purposes, the

l valve will be rotated to bring the passage 34 in alinement with the pipe 30 leading from the pump 29 and close the port 35 so that when the pump is operated the air pressure will increase within the connecting pipe 30 and the pipe 36 of the circuit a, whereby, as in the preferred form or` my invention the entire line of p'ping forming part of the ,system will be tested.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is obvious that the details of structure may be variously modified or changed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a iuid system, comprising a plurality of independent circuits, of means for simultaneously testing all of said circuits, said means comprising a casing connected to and forming a part of each circuit, a pump connected to said casing and a plurality of valves mounted within said casing and operable by a single movementin one direction to simultaneously establish communication between said pump and each of said circuits and in the reverse direction to restablish the normal circuits through said casing.

2. The combinationy with a fluid system, comprising a plurality of independent circuits, of means for simultaneously testing all of said circuits, said means comprising an enlarged conduit common to all of said circuits and forming a part thereof, a pump having means of communication with said conduit and a plurality-of valves positioned withinsaid conduit and operable by a single movement in one direction to establish communication between said pump and each of said circuits, and by a single movement in the reverse direction to restablish said independent circuits through said conduit.

3. A means for simultaneously testing a plurality of independent circuits of a fluid system, consisting of a conduit common to all of said circuits, each circuithaving two points of connection with said conduit and being independent of the remaining circuits, a pump communicating with said conduit and valve mechanism operable within said conduit by a single movement in one direction to establish communiaction between said pump and said circuits and in the reverse direction to cutout said pump and reestablish said normal independent circuits.

4. The combination with a Huid system,

comprising a plurality of independent circuits, of means for simultaneously testing all of said circuits, said means comprising a conduit having communication with all of said circuits and forming a part thereof, a pump normally independent of said circuits and connected with said conduit, a plurality of valves mounted within said conduit and manually operable by a single movement in one direction to establish communication between said pump and each of said circuits, and means for operating said pump to simultaneously test each of said circuits through said conduit, said valves being operable in the reverse direction by a single -movement .to cut oil said-pump and restablish each of said independenty circuits.

5. The combination with a iiuid system.,

Icomprising a plurality of normally inde- 

